Salcombe Hill

A walk along the English coast is a classic delight—the sweep of the sea, the cry of gulls, the wind on the cliffs. We often walk these paths for the view alone, a stunning but two-dimensional snapshot. But what if the landscape itself could tell a story? On Salcombe Hill, a dramatic headland rising east of Sidmouth, the ground beneath your feet holds a narrative stretching back hundreds of millions of years, from ancient deserts to modern conservation innovations.

Managed by the National Trust, this is more than just a viewpoint. It is a living classroom where deep geological time, unique wild habitats, and 21st-century science intersect. The story of Salcombe Hill is written in its red cliffs, its rare wildflowers, and the subtle but crucial work being done to protect it for the future. On your next coastal walk here, you’ll see not just a view, but a landscape revealing its secrets.

The unique character of Salcombe Hill begins with a dramatic tale of two distinct geological eras stacked one upon the other. The first chapter of this story is written in the cliffs' foundations, which are composed of red Triassic Mercia Mudstones. Laid down around 230 million years ago, they tell of a time when this part of the world was a scorching desert environment, characterized by temporary lakes and rivers.

Capping these ancient red rocks is the much younger Upper Greensand, deposited during the Cretaceous period about 100 million years ago when a vast sea covered the region. This permeable marine sand contains a mineral called glauconite, which gives the rock its characteristic green hue when first exposed. However, when it meets the air, the iron within the glauconite oxidizes, turning it to the familiar reddish-brown seen on the valley slopes.

This stark contrast—impermeable desert mudstone below, permeable marine sand above—is the fundamental building block for everything that lives and grows on Salcombe Hill. It dictates where water flows, what soil forms, and which plants can thrive, creating the foundation for an incredible diversity of habitats.

This geological drama sets the stage for the next chapter in Salcombe Hill's story: a tapestry of wild habitats. The well-drained, permeable Greensand slopes provide the perfect conditions for semi-natural broadleaf woodlands, which are mixed with forestry plantations dating back to the 19th century.

These woodlands are dominated by majestic oak, ash, and beech trees, with a vibrant understorey of hazel and silver birch. The most spectacular feature, however, arrives in spring. The ground becomes a breathtaking carpet of native bluebells, a key botanical indicator that signals the presence of precious ancient woodland.

The specific combination of geology, soils, and habitats at Salcombe Hill creates the perfect niche for a remarkable array of plants and animals. From rare bees nesting in clay cliffs to wildflowers that support entire insect life cycles, the hill is buzzing with activity for those who know where to look.

Wildflowers of the Meadows and Cliffs

The meadows and cliff-top grasslands come alive in summer with a profusion of wildflowers, each playing a vital ecological role.

• Black Knapweed: A dominant flower in mid-summer, its nectar provides a critical food source for a wide variety of bees and butterflies.

• Ox-eye Daisy: This cheerful, familiar flower is common throughout the restored meadows and grasslands of the estate.

• Bird’s-foot-trefoil: A beautiful but crucial plant, it is the sole food source for the larvae of the Common Blue butterfly and a primary forage for the rare Cliff Furrow Bee.

• Common Poppy: Found along the disturbed ground of field margins, these iconic red flowers add a splash of vibrant color to the landscape.

A Sanctuary for Birds and Bees

The coastal clay cliffs, formed from the underlying mudstones, are a national stronghold for fascinating and rare bee species. The Broad-faced Furrow Bee utilizes the desiccation cracks that form in the clay during summer to create nesting sites, while the Cliff Furrow Bee nests gregariously in clay exposures created by landslips. These cliffs are also home to the Spined Blood Bee, a rare cleptoparasite that lays its eggs in the nests of the Orange-footed Furrow Bee.

While the National Trust's nature-friendly farming initiatives have successfully increased the numbers of farmland birds on the hill itself, the nearby Sidmouth shingle beach offers a different spectacle for birdwatchers. Here, an overwintering flock of Turnstones can be seen skillfully flipping over pebbles in search of food. They are often joined by Oystercatchers, which, although they don't breed in Sidmouth, are usually present during the winter, especially when the weather has turned cold further north.

The National Trust actively manages Salcombe Hill to enhance its biodiversity and protect its delicate ecosystems. A key part of this strategy involves using cattle as "eco-engineers." Their grazing creates a varied mosaic of vegetation heights across the hillsides, providing ideal niches for insects, reptiles, and ground-nesting birds.

To manage this grazing on the steep and challenging terrain, an innovative "No Fence" GPS project has been implemented at nearby Dunscombe. Instead of physical fences, virtual boundaries are drawn on a map using a mobile app. This information is transmitted to electronic collars worn by the cattle, which emit a sound to guide the animals within the desired area. It is a remarkable example of how modern technology can be used to support traditional conservation methods. Alongside this, the Trust is actively creating "butterfly corridors" by restoring linear woodlands and hedgerows to help species move between isolated habitats and build resilience against climate change.

Salcombe Hill is far more than a place for a pleasant stroll. It is a dynamic landscape where a deep geological past and an innovative conservation future meet. The story of this place is one of profound connections—how desert muds and ancient seabeds give rise to woodlands, how a single wildflower can sustain a butterfly population, and how a GPS signal can help restore a habitat.

So the next time you walk a coastal path, look beyond the magnificent view. Ask yourself what stories are written in its stones, what secrets are held in its soils, and what hidden lives are playing out in its grasses. You may find the landscape has more to say than you ever imagined.